Business As Usual: 11/28 - 12/2

This week we will focus on valence electrons, atom drawing, and atom counting.  We will have a quiz this week testing the items below.

• Temperature Conversions
• Boyle's and Charles' Law
• Atom Drawing
• Electron Dot Diagrams
• Counting Atoms

Let me know if you have any questions: jhowell@tcsd.org

Science this Week: 11/14-11/18

This week we are finishing our element brochures.  We will continue to work on them until Wednesday, but they are due Friday.  Wednesday will be the last day to work on Element Brochures in class.

If you have not turned in your works cited yet..... it is late! Get it in!

Element Brochure Week

Science Fans,

We are moving on this week after completion of the Element Bowl competition and our elements quiz.

We will not have a quiz this week due to element brochure construction.  All students will choose an element and will construct a brochure implementing various technology standards for this project.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

JH

jhowell@tcsd.org

Physical Science: 10/24 - 10/28

This week we will be focusing on "States of Matter."  We will be working in the lab boiling and freezing different types of liquids on Tuesday and Wednesday.  We will be working on our elements for next weeks element bowl on Thursday and we will have a quiz as usual in Friday over "States of Matter."

Let me know if you have any questions: jhowell@tcsd.org
Thanks,
JH

Science: Week 10/17 - 10/21

Science Fans,
We will continue our study of The Periodic Table and its' relation to the sub-atomic particles of the atom this week.  We have a 5pt extra credit assignment due Tuesday(18th) and a quiz this Friday(21st).  Let me know if you have any questions.
jhowell@tcsd.org

Science This Week! 10/10-10/14

We will be studying the Periodic Table this week and get an introduction into Chemistry.
We will have a Standard this Thursday and a quiz this Friday.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Mr. H

We have been learning about Mass and Volume.  We will have a quiz today covering both Mass and Volume.  Both topics have been throughly covered and reviewed.  On Monday there is an optional extra credit assignment that is worth 10 points due.  Next week we will be learning about Density.  We will be spending time in the lab and also practicing calculations using the Density "triangle".

We will have a quiz on Density on Friday, October 7th with a Density Standard the following week.  

Today is the midpoint of the quarter.  Please check Powerschool.

Welcome Parents!

The Mr. Howell Science Blog is your all inclusive source for all the exciting happenings in Physical Science.  I update this blog weekly with homework assignments and quizzes.
Please contact me at jhowell@tcsd.org  if you have any questions.

Week of 5/31 - 6/3

This week will be the last opportunity for students to work on their electricity requirements. All work is due by the end of the period on Wednesday.

Week of: 5/16 - 5/20

This week we will be working on our Electricity Project. All students have an Electricity packet that they will utilize to complete various laboratory activities. This is a work at your own pace open inquiry activity. Don't procrastinate! Complete the daily recommended progress and you'll be fine.

JH

Week of April 25 - 29

This week we will be continuing on our electricity and magnetism project. The is an ongoing project that was described in last week's post. The project is worth 120 points and it will be due on Thursday the 28th. We will also have both an electricity standard (Thursday & Friday) and a Unit quiz (Friday). Since the standard requires that students practice for it, the standard is posted below. We will have class time for practice. Also one of the two extra credits for 4th quarter will be given this week. It is an assignment which asks students to calculate the electricity use the lights in Mr. Howell's classroom. This assignment will be due on Monday the May 2nd.

Name:___________________

Electricity Standard

Build the circuits below. Points are assigned according to the build time. You may practice for this standard.	Time:	Points:
	< 30 sec	10
	31 – 45 sec	8
	46 – 60 sec	6
	1:01 – 1:15	4
	1:16 – 1:30	2
	> 1:30	0

______ Simple circuit

______ Simple circuit with a switch

______ Series circuit (2 bulbs)

______ Parallel circuit (2 bulbs)

______ / 40 points

Electricity and Magnetism Project

This week and next week we will be working on our electricity and magnetism project. We are continuing to prepare ourselves for the transition to high school next year. The electricity and magnetism project is an assignment that is more high school in nature. Students will be working alone or with a partner (their choice) to complete several directed reading, laboratory and web based assignments. I will be doing mini lectures and demonstrations to support and supplement the content. I will also be frequently checking in with students both as a class and individually on their progress. However to successfully complete the project, students will need to be on task 100% of the time in class, and self monitor their progress. It is quite an involved assignment. We will be working on it over the next 7 - 8 class periods. It is worth 120 points! I have posted the cover page which lists the assignments below.

Electricity & Magnetism

Project Requirements

Note: Please keep track of your project booklet. If you loose your project booklet 5 points will be deducted to receive a new one. Additionally, grades will not be entered into Powerschool until the project is completed – so if you loose your booklet than completed assignments will have to be redone. If you miss one day, the project will be due completed on the assigned date. If you miss 2 or more day come discuss it with me.

Directions: These are the assignments for your grade. The following activities must be completed in full and be accurate to receive your grade. Please check them off as you complete them. Your proof of completion must be attached to this document when you turn these in. In order to successfully complete this project, you will need to stay on task and complete 1 – 2 objectives per class period. You may work with a partner (one), however the work you do must be your own.

Directed Reading: You must read and answer the questions in full including the Assess your understanding. You do not need to do the “My Planet Diary”.

√	Directed Reading Assignments	Time est.	Points	Grade
	Electric Circuits: pages 174 – 181	20 min	5
	Electric Power and Safety: pages 182 - 185	20 min	5
	What is Magnetism?: pages 196 - 199	15 min	5
	Magnetic Fields: pgs 200 – 205. SKIM – Don’t do ?’s	10 min	5
	Electromagnetic Force: pages 206 - 211	25 min	10
	Electricity, magnetism and Motion: pages 212 - 217	25 min	10

√	Lab Assignments	Time est.	Points	Grade
	Series Circuit – Series Circuit	15 min	5
	Parallel Circuit – Bulbs in Parallel	15 min	5
	Open Circuit with a switch	15 min	5
	Create an Electromagnet	Full period	15
	Create a DC Motor	Full period	15

√	Worksheets and Web Assignments	Time est.	Points	Grade
	Electric Circuits – Review and Reinforce & Enrich	25 min	10
	Ohms and Power Problems	30 min	10
	Battery Web-Quest & Battery Tutorial	Full Period	15
	Review for Unit Quiz	15 – 30 min

Quiz Friday

There will be a quiz this friday covering everything that we have been learning on electricity since coming back from spring break.

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone has a great spring break. Welcome back. We have a busy scheduled planned for the rest of the school year. For the next 4 weeks we will be focusing on Electricity and Electro-Magnetism. This will be a fun unit where we spend a big portion of our time in the lab. Once we complete our unit on Electricity, we will be switching classes with Mrs. Manhart and you will then be learning about Energy and Energy resources.

Before spring break we finished our unit on Forces and Newton's Laws. There were several assignments due before we went on break. Check Power School! These three assignments - the roller coaster project, Newton's Laws Standard and the Unit quiz, were worth a total of 124 points. It was explained extensively, before the break, that this will equal about a third of the fourth quarter grade. It was also explained that due to spring break that there would be no late work excepted. There are a few students who were absent of who have reasonable excuses for not handing it in. There are also a few students who have not turned it in without an excusable reason. Check Powerschool! If you have not turned it in then come talk to me this week! We will discuss how to either make it up or how to earn back some of the points.

Last week before spring break

It is the last week before spring break. This week we will be focusing on finishing our roller coaster project. This is a big project that will be the first grade of the fourth quarter. We have spent several days on it and it will be worth 90 points - around 25% of the total quarter grade!

The whole project including the diagrams of Newton's laws will be due on Thursday at the start of class. Do to spring break there will be no late work accepted.

On Thursday we will be having our Unit test and standard. Don't forget to study. and finally on Friday is Quarterly recognition. Great job this quarter. As a reward we will be going to the movies to see The Battle for Loa Angeles.

Have a great spring break and get ready for electricity, energy and energy resources when we return.

Week of 3/14 - 3/18 - End of Quarter 3 is approaching!

Reminder: The last day of the quarter is this Friday! CHECK POWERSCHOOL. Please complete and turn in any missing assignments. You will receive 50% credit and this will raise your grade! The last day to turn any any and all late assignments will be next Monday the 21st at the end of the school day. No assignments will be accepted after Monday. Powerschool is currently up to date with all assignments that have been turned in are graded and entered. We will have a couple of more graded assignments this week: A homework assignment, a lab, this weeks dispatch and a test that we will take on Friday. You will also receive 2 bonus points for each Hall pass that you have not used. Remember you can always come in at lunch and receive extra help or work on makeup assignments.

This Week: We will be learning about Newton's Three Laws and Momentum. We will be working in the classroom and in the lab. On Friday we will have a test and then get prepared for our roller coaster project, which is next week. The roller coaster project will be graded as a part of your 4th quarter grade.

PAWS Testing, End of Quarter

This weeks focus is PAWS testing. The schedule this week changes day to day but on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we will be spend time in team doing the PAWS reading test and review for the science test. On Thursday and Friday we will be taking the PAWS Science test during our regularly scheduled periods. A couple of notes:

- There will only be one homework assignment this week. It will be due on Wednesday or Thursday (class dependent) and it will be a PAWS Science Review Quiz.

-Students are welcome to bring snacks to sustain their energy during testing. We ask that they either bring snacks for just themselves or for the whole class.

Parent Teacher Conferences Recap: It was great to meet many of you at parent teacher conferences last week. If you were unable to attend last week than please feel free to contact me to schedule a meeting at a more convenient time. If you were unable to attend you child was given a folder with reports from all of their teachers.

Finally the end of Third Quarter is near!!! The last day of Third Quarter is Friday March 18th. This is next Friday. No late work will be accepted after the 18th! CHECK POWERSCHOOL and get any missing assignments turned in. You will earn half credit and this will help your grade!

Week of 2/23 - 2/25

We have a short but exciting week this week. On Thursday the last Space Shuttle Launch is scheduled to take place. This is the last of over 130 shuttle launch. In our class this week we will be focusing on Speed, Velocity and Acceleration. We will be taking a closer look using the Space Shuttle as an example.

-If you were absent on Friday the 18th: You missed a quiz. You will make that quiz up on Thursday during class. To review for it complete the quiz review sheet, reread and study pages

3 - 13 in our textbook and of course if you have any questions or need extra help than please don't hesitate to ask for it.

If you are missing school this week (2/23 - 2/25) than you need to read and complete the questions on pages 14 - 25 in our textbook. This should keep you fairly caught up and we will get you the rest of the way next week.

-Remember Parent Teacher Conferences are from 3pm - 7pm March 1st and 3rd. I=A letter will be going out this week as a reminder and with your meeting time.

Physics!!!

We have started Physics as of today. Physics will be very hands on and lab based. We will be focusing on the concepts of physics including motion, forces, Newton's laws, energy and electricity. We have changed our seating and added some new classroom resources such as a Vocabulary Corner where everyone can post vocabulary words and their definition.

Our schedule will be roughly as follows:

February 14 - 18th we will be focusing on Motion, Speed and Velocity

February 21 - 25th: Remember no school on the 21st and 22nd. The rest of the week we will be studying acceleration

February 28 - March 4th will be working on a roller coaster project.

March 7 - 25th will be studying Forces and Newton's Laws

After spring break we will move into studying Energy and Electricity.

Lab Week

This week we have been working in the lab. On Monday, we learned about Solutes, Solvents and Solutions. Tuesday and Wednesday we have been working in the lab and preparing lab reports examining the effects of temperature and surface area on reaction rates and dissolving. Thursday we will be back in the lab experimenting with "Tasty Solutions". Tasty Solutions is another lab which explores solutes, solvents and solutions and correlates reaction rates and the time to dissolve. Finally on Friday we will be having a big Chemistry Demo Day. It is a lot of fun and provides real world examples of Chemistry in Action!.

Next Week: We move on to Physics! We will be learning about Motion and Forces until Spring Break.

Homework: If you didn't finish your Lab Report with two graphs and your Jane Schowell write up than it will be homework that is DUE Thursday.

Quiz Tomorrow:Friday Feb 4th

Quiz tomorrow. It will cover material on the last quiz and Ionic and Covalent Bonding. Homework for tonight is to review your Atom Diagrams and Bonding Quiz Review Sheet (Green) from Class today in preparation for tomorrow's quiz.

Cartoon Chemistry Due Monday

Hi Everybody, I want to thank everyone for their hard work this week and great efforts on our quiz today. Great job! Remember that your Cartoon Chemistry is due at the start of class on Monday. This is homework if you didn't finish it in class today. Don't forget to finish and turn in both your drawings and the descriptions on the back of the cartoon chemistry handout. Have a fun and safe weekend, Mr. Howell and Mr. Deighton

Quiz Friday!

We have a Quiz this Friday the 21st. The quiz will cover Counting Atoms, Balancing Chemical Equations and Types of Chemical Reactions.

Counting Atoms: Al2O3 ---> Al + O2

On the reactant side we have 2 Al atoms and 3 O atoms. On the product side we have 1 Al atom and 2 O atoms. This reaction is not "balanced". Which means the number of Al and O atoms are equal on both sides of the reaction.

Steps to Balance:

1. Draw Line
2. Count Atoms
3. Add Prefix Numbers

The reaction is now balanced but the individual steps haven't been shown:

2Al2O3 ---> 4Al + 3O2

Types of Reactions:

1. Synthesis
2. Decomposition
3. Single Replacement
4. Double Replacement

Study hard, Ask if you have any questions and good luck!

Math and Literacy Parent Night

Hi everyone, I wanted to take a moment and let you know about Math and Literacy night this Tuesday the 18th. It is a great opportunity for parents to come down and get involved and learn more about how to support your child/student's learning. Details are listed below.

What: Math and Literacy evening presentation for parents

When: Tuesday, January 18th from 5:30-7:00

Purpose: The Jackson Hole Middle School will be presenting a math and literacy night on Tuesday, January 18th from 5:30 - 6:30. The purpose of this evening is to inform parents about literacy and math programs, grades 6-10, as well as to share advice on how to support students at home.

Logisitcs:

• there will be babysitters for any families that need the service
• refreshments will be provided
• there will be a DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION SOCIAL happening at the same time for any JHMS student who drops their parent off at the presentation!!
• THERE WILL BE A RAFFLE FOR A GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THE APPLE STORE FOR ANY STUDENT WHOSE PARENTS ATTEND!!!!

End of the Quarter is this Friday! All late and make up work is due Thursday by 2:35 pm. Late work will still receive 50% credit and this will improve your grade! Don't miss this opportunity to turn in uncompleted assignments.

Class Updates and Standard on Tuesday.

We have had a busy week with a lot of lab time. This week we focused on the difference between chemical and physical change both in the classroom and in the laboratory. A homework assignment was due on Thursday. Next week we will review on Monday and have a lab standard (practical quiz) on Tuesday. There is also an extra credit assignment due on Tuesday.

I would also like to take a moment to Welcome Mr. Deighton to our class. Mr. Deighton is a graduate student who will be student teaching with us this Spring.

And finally I have added a new translate button to the blog. The district home page has one but now you can translate the site text into Spanish from the button towards the upper right of the page. If there are any requests for additional languages please let me know.

Y por último he añadido un nuevo botón de traducir el blog. La página principal del distrito cuenta con uno, pero ahora puedes traducir el texto del sitio en español desdeel botón hacia la parte superior derecha de la página. Si hay solicitudes de otros idiomas por favor hágamelo saber.

Welcome Back!

Hope you enjoyed your Christmas break.

We have two weeks left in this quarter so get your late work in!

We will be looking into Chemical and Physical changes this week and will continue with Chemistry through the end of this quarter.